Camille contal



PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

c. GONTAL. RATCHET SCREW KEY.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.15, 1903.

NO MODEL.

@22m/WF @En u -TU L s PETERS co., vHoTou-r UNITED STATEs PatentedFebruary 2, 1904.

CAMILLE CONTAL, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

' RATCH ET SCREW-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,055, dated February2, 1904.

Application led October l5, 1903.

To all whom, it m//y/ concern:

Be it known that I, CAMILLE CoNTAL, engineer, a citizen of the Republicof France, residing at 186 Boulevard Pereire, Faris, inrthe Republic ofFrance, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RatchetScrew- Keys, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to a ratchet screwkey for screwing and unscrewingnuts or for turning divers objects in either direction; and it has forits object to so construct a key of this character that it will besimple, strong, and easy to lubricate or clean as tothe parts subjectedto friction. The said key comprises a stem arranged in the form of atool or adapted to receive a tool and provided with an eXtension aroundwhich are loosely mounted a ratchet-disk and a head arranged in the formof a handle or adapted to receive a handle. On the said key is alsomounted a spiral spring which presses the said head against theratchetdisk and both the head and disk against the end of the stem, thecontact-faces of the said head and of the said stem being provided withteeth inclined in opposite directions meshing with the corresponding'teeth of the ratchetdisk in the same manner as pawls. Y The end of thestem, thel ratchet-disk, and the head are also provided with means torigidly connect the ratchet-disk either with the head or with the stemor with both at the same time. In the first case by the oscillatingmovement of the head moving' and coacting with the ratchet-disk the pawlof the stem is operated in one direction, to screw, for instance. In thesecond case the oscillating movement of the head with its pawl causesthe ratchet-disk moving and coacting with the stem to turn in theopposite direction, to unscrew, for instance. In the third case the headmoves and coacts with the stem in both directions.

The accompanying drawings .show by way of example one form of carryingout the present invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the key, the operating-handle being broughtinward alongside -(see Fig. 1) or only with the crown 5.

the key. Fig. 2 is an end view of the key,

Serial No'. 177,175.A (No model.)

the tool being withdrawn from the stem or from the bore in the same.Fig. 3. is a longitudinal section of the key, the handle being in itsoperative position. Fig. 4 is a transversal section on the line A B ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a part elevation showing the universal joint used.

On an extension of reduced diameter 1 at the end of a hollow stem 2 aratchet-disk 3 and a tubular and handled head 4, both of which arefreeto turn and slide, are loosely mounted, a toothed crown or pawl 5 beingalso xedly mounted on the said extension. The lateral faces of theratchet-disk 3 are provided with teeth 6 and 7, which mesh,respectively, with the teeth 8 and 9, formed on the head 4 and on thecrown 5, the said teeth being inclined in opposite directions, as shownin Fig. 1. Between the bottom of the head 4 and a washer IO, held on theextension I by a pin 11, is located a spiral spring 12, which tends topress the head 4 against the ratchetdisk 3 and the said disk againstthecrown 5. Two holes 13 are provided in the head 4 to allow of puttingthe pin 11 in place.

The periphery of the ratchet-disk 3 and of the two pawls 5 and 8 isangular and is surrounded by a slidable ring 14 of corresponding shape.The width of the said ring is such that it is capable of covering at thesame time both the edges of the disk and those of the two pawls. Thesaid ring can be moved so as to connect the disk 3 only with theI hetl 4ee Fig. 3.) Studs 15 limit the movement of the ring 14 in bothdirections. the said ring in each position in which it is put by hand, aflat spring 16 is housed in a mortise of the ring and bears against theperiphery of the disk 3, thus exercising suflicient friction to keep thering in place.

In the square oriiice of the bore 2 there may be located a square rod17, onto which divers tools may be adapted. The drawings show a toolcapable of fitting onto nuts and consisting of a tube 18, one end ofwhich is made square to take onto the rod 17 and the other end of whichis opened out in the form of a In order to hold polygonal capcorresponding in shape to that of the nut onto which the cap or key isto take.

Instead of only a square rod 1'7 there may be inserted in the bore 2 asquare rod 19, (see Fig. 5,) connected by a universal joint to anothersquare rod 21, onto which there may two openings 26 and 27 in the head4, the latter opening 27 being extended by a slit 28, through which theflat part 24 can be passed. Then the handle is located in thetwo'openings 26 and 27, as shown in Fig. 3, it cannot pass out throughthe slit 28, while being easy to operate to give either a reciprocatingor continuous rotary movement to the head 4. To bring the handlealongside the screw-key, as shown in Fig. 1, it is slid in the openings26 and 27 until the iiat part 24 can be passed out through the slit28,after which the curved part 25 is brought intothe opening 26 and thehandle is turned parallel to the stem 2. Thel screw-key is thus renderedcompact.

Instead of a square rod 17 there may be usd tools, such as 18, having asquare end which takes directly into the orifice of the bore, or anyother suitable fixing means may be used.

I claim- 1. A ratchet-key for screwing, unscrewing, and the like,comprising a stem having an eX- tension, a ratchet-disk loosely mountedon the said extension, pawls coacting respectively with the stem andwith the head and engaged by the said ratchetdisk, a spiral springmounted on the said extension to hold the ratchet-disk and the pawls inmesh, and means for rigidly connecting the ratchet-disk either with oneof the pawls, or with the other pawl, or with both at the same time.

2. A ratchet-key comprising a stem having an extension, a ratchet-diskand a head loosely mounted on the said extension, pawls formed on theinner faces of the stem and of the head, a spring holding theratchet-disk and the pawls in mesh, and a movable ring for causing theratchet-disk to coact with either one or the other pawl or with both atthe same time, the said ring having, the same as both the ratchetdiskand the pawls, angular guide-faces.

3. A ratchet key comprising a stem, a ratchet-disk, a hollow head, pawlsformed on the stem and on the head, a spring to hold the ratchet-diskand the pawls in mesh, means for connecting the ratchet-disk with eitherpawl, in combination with an operating-rod bent at one end, a head ateach end of the said rod, a reduced part on the rod, two openings in thewall of the head and inV which the rod is slidable, and a slitconnecting one of the said openings with the edge of the head andthrough which the reduced part can be passed, in order to allow of theoperating-rod being brought alongside of the screw-key.

4. A screw-key comprising a stem, a ratchetdisk, a head, pawls formed onthe stem and on the head, a spring to hold the ratchet-disk and thepawls in mesh, means for connecting the ratchet-disk with either of thepawls, in combination with a fork arranged to fit on the end of thestem, another fork arranged to receive a tool, and a spider connectingthe two forks in the same manner as a universal joint.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CAMILLE CONTAL.

Witnesses:

AUGUSTUS E. INGRAu, MAURICE RoIX.

